Daddy
by watercooleromance
Summary: Craig’s senior year is definitely not what he had planned. His whole life is suddenly turned upside down when he gains custody of his son, after the mother dies in childbirth. Watch as Craig does his best to raise his son while attending high school. R&R!
1. Brett

**Daddy**

Summary: Craig's senior year is definitely not what he had planned. His whole life is suddenly turned upside down when he gains custody of his son, after his girlfriend dies in childbirth. Watch how Craig does his best to raise his son while attending high school. Starts when his son is 10 months old and continues on… flashbacks included.

A/N: I own only the characters that you don't recognize which I guess is only one.

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As Craig stared down at the baby, whose face was gently illuminated by the moonlight streaming in from the window, he had no doubt that the child that lie before him was indeed his. The baby's wispy, dark curls spread unevenly out on top of the blue sheets of the crib, curls that he had indubitably inherited from Craig. Like father, like son. Craig watched his son for a long while, not blinking, for fear he would miss a moment of his child's innocent beauty. He watched his small body go up and down with every inhale and exhale of breath, watched the way, even as he slept, his tiny fist clutched the blue blanket embroidered with his name: Brett. Using the side of the crib for support, Craig leaned over, examining his son's every feature. His chubby round cheeks, his flat nose, the way he kept his mouth, outlined with thin pink lips, slightly open when he slept, a dribble of saliva escaping every once in a while. And, although Brett was sound asleep, Craig knew that behind his closed eyelids, laid glowing green eyes, the only trait he had inherited from his mother. Craig, careful not to wake Brett, leaned further over and planted a light kiss on his forehead. The baby stirred lightly, and Craig held his breath, silently praying that he wouldn't wake, and watched as Brett tightened his grip on his blanket and returned to his rythematic breathing. Sighing, Craig took one last look at his son and turned to his own bed and, not bothering to pull down the sheets or even change into a pair of pajamas, Craig collapsed onto his bed, and within a minute was fast asleep. He needed his rest, tomorrow was going to be a long day, just like every other.

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A/N: You guys-and girls- want to hear more? If so, please review, reviews keep me writing. Anyway, this is just the introduction so obviously following chapters will be longer. I'm planning on writing every other chapter as a flashback. Tell me what you think! Thanks so much for reading! 


	2. Bye, Bye, Baby

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them! I hope you enjoy this chapter equally (or maybe even more!). This is the first flashback, back to the day where Manny gets the abortion. I'm not sure what the date that episode aired was but, I'm just going to say that it was early January, because that fits into my timeline with this story. This is written entirely from Craig's point of view, as will be most likely every chapter in this story. And when you're done reading, leave a short review, please. Thanks in advance.

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I sat silently on the front steps of my house, all alone with nothing but my depressing thoughts to keep me company. I wrapped my arms around my legs and hugged my knees to my chest. Gently rocking myself back and forth on the concrete step, my eyes began to burn. But, no, I wouldn't cry. I couldn't. I swallowed hard, trying to hold the tears back. But, after a few minutes (seconds?) of struggling with myself, I gave into my emotions. Burying my head in my legs, I let everything out. All the pain, all the anger, all the sadness. Tears seeped through my jeans, but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything now.

After a while, I heard footsteps coming my way, from the driveway. Not bothering to even so much as pick my head up to see my visitor, I prayed that it wasn't Caitlin or Joey, and that it was just the mailman. I didn't feel like talking to anybody. The light footsteps, definitely not Joey's, walked up the path to where I was standing and abruptly stopped right in front of me. Finally, I looked up. And much to my relief, it was neither Joey or Caitlin, but Emma.

As soon as I caught sight of her, my hands instinctively went to my face, to wipe of the tears, I felt defeated, miserable, but I didn't want anybody to know. Before I could stand up so I could at least talk to Emma at eyelevel she held out her hand, as a crossing guard might do, to stop me, and took a seat on the step to the right of me.

Time was meaningless. For what could have been seconds or hours, we sat in total silence, not even looking at each other. But, at the same time, it felt good to have somebody there for me. Somebody who actually cared.

"S-s-s-so," I sounded pathetic and I knew it, stuttering, but I couldn't find the right words. There were no right words for the situation I was in. Only the wrong ones, and I'd already said all of those. Maybe, just maybe, if I had said the right ones, I wouldn't be here now. "So, she really did it?" I asked Emma, twisting my head so that I was facing her. I didn't have to say anything more she knew exactly what I was talking about. My eyes silently pleading, I desperately awaited her response to my question, an answer I already knew.

Emma tucked a strand of her long, blond hair behind her right ear and slowly took in a deep breath. And with her intense green eyes, she looked deep into my tear-filled ones and answered my question. "Yeah, she did it, she really did it. She-," Emma's voice cracked at the same moment that yet another of river of salty tears slipped down my cheeks. "-got the abortion."

Emma's eyes were red, but she wasn't crying. She was stronger than me. But, then again, she didn't just have the mother of her child just vacuum her own flesh and blood out of her body. No, that would be what had just happened to me. I had this crazy hope, a wish, that maybe Manny would change her mind. Maybe she wouldn't get the abortion.

Maybe at the last minute she would realize how selfish she had been and change her mind. It happens all the time in movies. Maybe she would decide to keep my-our- baby alive, give it a chance at life. I sighed, it was a stupid and unrealistic wish anyway. Manny never would have changed her mind, she was dead set on the abortion and no one could talk her out of it.

I placed my head in my legs again, sobbing uncontrollably. "Craig, you know I don't agree with what Manny did, but, maybe it was for the best." I looked up at her, confused. She didn't think it was right, yet she sided with Manny? What? Emma lovingly pulled my hand into hers and held it there. "Think of what would have happened if you had kept it. You and Manny are only in high school, there's no way you could have raised a baby. And, if you did think of all that you would miss out on and what the baby would miss out on..." Her voice trailed off, became an inaudible whisper and I had a feeling she was no longer talking to me but instead thinking about her own childhood.

I listened to Emma carefully, slowly taking in everything she said as she gingerly massaged my hand. "Emma," I said in a low whisper. If my voice got any higher it would crack and I'd be sobbing again. "…I never asked her to keep the baby. I just didn't want her to abort it."

I felt the tears coming on again, and I tried to push them back. Emma must have sensed it too because she released my hand and put her arms around me, pulling me into an embrace. I carefully lowered my head down onto her breast, I could feel her heart beating. Then, speaking softly into her chest, I continued. "We could have given the baby up for adoption. You know- the kind where you get sent pictures of the baby and get to see him or her every so often? We could have done that. I mean, even if the baby was in her body, it was still half mine. Don't I get a say? I gladly would have carried the baby for her, if I could have." Emma pulled me tighter, smashing my face deeper into her chest. But, in a way, it felt good. It was early January and all I was wearing was a T-shirt and jeans, and being held by Emma brought warmth to me.

Now Emma's shirt was getting stained with a mixture of both my tears and her own. Emma stroked my hair while she held me, fingering each of my jet black curls. And, suddenly, I felt better. Like I wasn't all alone in the world.

And soon, it was time for Emma to leave. I walked her down the street to her house, and when we got to her front door she rubbed her hand against my red, tear stained face and told me that everything would be alright. I wanted to believe her, I really did. But, how does she know what it's like to lose a child you have never even got the chance to meet?

When Emma reached the front door of her house, she paused fingering the doorknob, then turned back to me.  
"Craig, just-," a short pause, I guess she was having trouble finding the right words today too. "Just try not to think about it too much. It's in the past now. It's over. Done. There's nothing more you can do about it. Just move on with your life." And with that she opened the door to her home and stepped inside, leaving me once again, alone. I stood there, staring at the place where Emma had just stood, and carefully considered her words. Maybe she was right after all.

But it didn't stop me from thinking. And on the short walk home I thought about how that baby, that _dead_ baby, would probably be my only one**. I'll be damned if I ever got another child, I thought, angrily kicking a stone in my path. **

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed that chapter! You know what to do- review! Reviews keep me writing!


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